Britain warned it could be cut out of future Five Eyes intelligence over Huawei

London: Britain must ban Huawei from building its 5G network or risk being cut out of future Five Eyes intelligence gathering operations, one of the UK's foremost China experts has warned.

Charles Parton, an associate fellow with the prestigious London-based defence think tank The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) is recommending Britain maintain the same stance as its Five Eyes intelligence allies: Australia, the US and New Zealand in banning Huawei equipment from from its 5G networks.

A booth for Huawei at the PT Expo in Beijing last year. Credit:AP

The other Five Eyes member Canada is weighing up a ban. Britain is conducting a review before announcing its decision but this week The Financial Times reported that British intelligence had concluded the risk posed by Huawei potentially spying on behalf of Beijing could be mitigated, paving the way for Huawei to be allowed into Britain's 5G.

In his paper - China-UK relations: where to draw the border between influence and interference - Parton said this could carry serious consequences for Britain's future relationship with its Five Eyes partners.

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To allow Huawei’s participation was at best naive, at worst irresponsible," he said.

"Worries about security of UK networks following their exposure to Huawei may make the Five Eyes partners, and perhaps others such as France, Germany or Japan, less inclined to co-operate with the UK in the future.

"The maintenance of a ‘Five Eyes standard’ of cyber security in telecommunications is a vital strategic and security interest, the loss of which would go far beyond a reduction in intelligence reports exchanged and might lead the UK being excluded from work on developing future technologies for intelligence collection," Parton said.

The paper also recommended the British government start a debate about potential Chinese interference in Western political systems, citing Australia's "guinea pig" experience involving the disgraced former Labor Senator Sam Dastyari and the recent push to ban foreign political donations.

It said Brexit could further expose the UK to interference.

"The UK’s departure from the European Union may increase the CCP’s desire to interfere, as the it seeks to implement further a ‘divide and rule’ strategy, aimed at imposing its global vision and interests," the paper warned.

Elite capture

The paper also recommended potentially barring politicians from taking up jobs spruiking for the Chinese, aimed a preventing Beijing's well-used "elite capture" method, of giving lucrative jobs to former politicians who still wield influence in their parties.

In Australia, former trade minister Andrew Robb took a $800,000 job with a Chinese billionaire closely connected to the Communist party, beginning one day before the 2016 election at which he retired from Parliament.

In Britain, former prime minister David Cameron heads up a British-backed but private UK-China investment fund aimed at furthering Beijing's controversial Belt and Road initiative.

"The question of ‘elite capture’ by the CCP has not been closely examined. It should be, including the issue of how much time should elapse between government service and working for Chinese state or quasi-state organisations," said Parton.